World News for Students of English

02-01-2019 15:00

Thailand’s lawmakers gave the country’s citizens a special New Year’s gift – a change in an existing law to allow marijuana for medical and research purposes.

However, licenses to produce and sell marijuana products will be strictly controlled, and people will be able to carry certain amounts of the drugs if they have a prescription or certificate.

The new law also allows kratom, a plant native to the region, which is used to treat pain, anxiety and other issues.

South east Asia is known for its strict drug laws and harsh penalties and Thailand is the first country in the region to legalise pot in any way. Marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes is gaining popularity around the world, but Canada has recently become only the second country to legalise it for recreational use.

Difficult words: anxiety (a nervous disorder when you are extremely nervous and can have panic attacks), penalty (punishment for doing something illegal), pot informal (marijuana), recreational (fun).

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